Medical Image of the Month: Diffuse White Matter Microhemorrhages Secondary to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection

Abstract

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. Clinical Scenario: A 59-year-old woman with hypothyroidism presented to the emergency room with progressive shortness of breath for 2 weeks. Upon arrival, she was markedly hypoxic necessitating use of a non-rebreather to maintain her oxygen saturations above 88%. A chest radiograph demonstrated extensive, bilateral airspace disease. She was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pneumonia and started on the appropriate therapies. Approximately 48 hours into her hospitalization, she required intubation with mechanical ventilation due to her progressive hypoxemic respiratory failure. She was intubated for approximately 5 weeks with a gradual improvement in her respiratory status, but not to the point where she was a candidate for a tracheostomy. Despite being off sedation for an extended period, she remained unresponsive. A CT of the head without contrast did not demonstrate any significant abnormalities. An MRI of the brain was subsequently performed and demonstrated diffuse juxtacortical and callosal white matter microhemorrhages (Figure 1). Given …